Car for tunnel-kilns.



PATENTED AUG. 30, 1904.

A. A. GBRY.

CAR FOR TUNNEL KILNS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

A -ihHHMHH PATENTED AUG. 30, 1904.

A. A. GERY.

CAR FOR TUNNEL KILNS.

APPLICATION IILED MAY 21, 1904.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

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r 17/ 9/ 4, 4/ m4 L ammm You Wit names 27 attoznela' Patented August 30, 1904.

ALBERT A. GERY, ()F READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR FOR TUNNEL-KILNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 768,797, dated August 30, 1904.

Application filed May 21, 1904. Serial No. 209,111. (No model-1 To all whom, it 77l/(by 007LO6V7L:

Be it known that I, ALBERT A. GERY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Reading, county of Berks, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cars for Tunnel-Kilns, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cars for tunnelkilns, and particularly to the frame construction thereof, the main objects being to provide for securing a convenient and effective air-tight coupling between the cars and the complete cutting off of communication between the upper portion of the tunnel in which the burning of the material piled upon the cars is effected, and the portion of the tunnel below the car-body. In operating these tunnel-kilns, as is well known, a newly-loaded car is abutted against the last-preceding car in the tunnel, and the whole line of cars is then pushed forward until the new car has been moved into the tunnel. The securing of an air-tight joint between the abutted cars and between the sides of the whole line of cars and the sealing-troughs of the tunnel is essential, not only to economy of fuel, but to the satisfactory treatment of the bricks or other material piled upon the cars and subjected to the progressive drying, burning, and cooling action in the firing portion of the tunnel.

The invention is fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings,and the novel features are specifically pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an end portion of a car embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a similar sectional elevation on the line (1 w of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional View on the line 3 3 01 Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow, and. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the bumper.

The car-body is carried, as usual, by pedestals 4: on axles 3, provided with wheels 1, arranged to run on rails 2 in the tunnel. The

side frames of the car are formed, as shown, of angle-bars 5, having the horizontal members 7 turned inward, with the pedestals a secured thereto, and the floor of the car, upon which are piled the bricks or other material to be burned, is carried upon said angle-irons preferably by means of an arch, as particularly shown and described in my pending application filed May 17, 1904:. These angleiron sides 5 are connected at opposite ends of the car by bumpers, which are adapted to complete a rigid frame structure and at the same time provide for the convenient and effective cutting off of communication between the upper portion of the tunnel and the portion thereof below the bodies of a connected series of the cars, as previouslyexplained. Each of these bumpers comprises a main portion 11, extending crosswise of the car and having the outer face 12 thereof, which abuts against the similar bumper of an adjoining car, provided with one or more transverse joint-recesses 13. The closed end portions of the bumper are formed with depending sealing-flanges 14 and with vertical jointrecesses 15 15, intersecting the recesses 13 and adapted, in connection with the latter, to receive joint-strips of asbestos or other suitable material. A coupling-lug 21 is provided for connecting a similar adjoining car.

To provide for rigidly connecting the bumper to the angle-iron sides 5, a rearwardlyextending bolting-flange 16 is formed on each end portion, against the outer face of which the vertical member 6 of the angle-iron is bolted, with the horizontal. member 7 thereof extending inward beneath said flange. Another bolting-flange 17 below said flange 16, but spaced apart therefrom and forming a rearward-tapering extension of the depending sealing-flange 14, serves to connect the latter to the longitudinal sealing-strips 18. These strips dip into the usual sand-troughs 19 of the tunnel for cutting ofi side communication between the upper and lower portions of the tunnel, and they thus form an air-tight connection with the sealing-flanges 14c of the bumper, while their upper edges 20 are arranged, as shown, to overlap the angle-iron sides 5 of the frame, so as to also form an airtight connection lengthwise of the car. The sealing-flanges 14 of the bumper, which thus form portions of practically continuous sealing-strips on the sides of the connected cars, are so shaped as to be readily drawn through the loose sand without permitting the passage of air, while the abutting ends of adjoining cars are drawn together by means of suitable cou iiling-bolts engaging the central coupling lugs 21, so as to tightly compress the abutting joints formed, as described, by the packed recesses 13 15, and thereby effectually seal the connections between the cars.

The construction specifically shown and described may evidently be modified without departing from the invention.

\Vhat I claim is 1. In a car for tunnel-kilns, the combination with the side frames, of bumpers connecting the same and formed with depending sealing-flanges, and longitudinal sealing-strips connecting said flanges below said side frames.

2. In a car for tunnel-kilns, the combination with the side frames, of bumpers connecting the same and formed on their outer faces with transverse and vertical abutting joints for an adjoining car.

3. In a car for tunnel-kilns, the combination with the side frames, of bumpers connecting the same and formed on their outer faces with transverse and vertical abutting joints,

and coupling means for rigidly connecting an abutted car.

4:. In a car for tunnel-kilns, the combination with the side frames, of bumpers connecting the same and formed with depending sealing-flanges, and longitudinal sealing-strips connecting said flanges below said side frames, said bumpers being provided on their outer faces with abutting joints and with coupling means for rigidly connecting an abuttod car.

5. In a car for tunnel-kilns, the combination with angle-iron side frames of connecting bumper ends formed with depending sealingflanges and with rearwardly-extending bolting-flanges arranged one below the other and spaced apart to permit the passage between them of the horizontal member of said angleiron. side frames, and longitudinal sealingstrips connecting the lower bolting-flanges of the opposite bumpers.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT A. GERY.

\Vitnesses:

D. M. STEWART,

NV. G. STEWART. 

